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Joined: Mar 2008
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I have shot the .22 shot shells alot. The length of the barrel can make a big difference in the pattern. Still only good for short range. I use them on pack rats once in a while. They work pretty good under the right conditions.
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Joined: Jun 2020
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New Member
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New Member
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Where we live here there are plenty of rattlers. We have many dogs and other animals around our rural home in the high desert. I've used the CCI shotshells many times on rattlers. They work great - ideally at 3' to 4' from the muzzle. That gives you the best pattern density and yet not too widely dispersed. They pulverize the head very efficiently.
When at home here the first round in my 686 is a #9 CCI snakeshot load. At night I've run into them right on my walkway off the front porch twice now, so even walking at night I have a flashlite in hand and the 686 on my hip.
PS: remember at that close a distance the pattern is centered about 1" lower than you'd think due to the boreline being an inch below the top of the sights. At 48" from the muzzle I get a 4" pattern with either 38/357 or with .22 LR snakeshot.
Pedersoli .54 Hawken
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Joined: Feb 2010
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Not a .38 but I've done considerable patterning with a .44 Spl Bulldog and .44 Russian...conclusion, counter intuitively, the shortest barrel produces the best patterns. ??? WTF? Hard to swallow, but true.
Best load, 3 gr of Bullseye, Red Dot, or Tite Group, Maybe Bullseye marginally the best, any hot primer, wax milk carton wad over powder wad, fill near top with #8 shot, place an over shot wad of milk carton or a pounded flat disc made from a soft lead fishing sinker (you can cut a dum-dum X in the sinker if you like), seal with a little Lee Liquid Alox and give it a pronounced roll crimp. Truly great useable patterns at 10 yards. On cardboard, the shot is very well distributed without the usual quail sized holes, penetration is more than adequate. Will stop a charging tender young grouse in it's tracks, for defense purposes. It does pattern better. Less time to get it spinning. For longer barrels.......Bowen does a Paradox barrel.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 24,661 |
Whomever decided to use #7.5 shot in CCI's shotshells obviously has never had any real experience killing snakes. Ever wonder why a CCI .22 mag kills just as good, if not better than the .38 Special? It's because the .22 shotshells use smaller shot, and put more pellets on target.
CCI thinks the 7.5 is needed for penetration. I have yet to see the snake that could shake off #11 shot. That's why the High Standard DA derringer was THE snake gun for so many years.
Most snakes require two shots from a CCI in anything but a large bore revolver round. Now if you loaded a .38 Special with #11 or #12 shot, then anything but a Python or Anaconda is DRT with one shot.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Whomever decided to use #7.5 shot in CCI's shotshells obviously has never had any real experience killing snakes. Don't know where you are buying those, but every 38 CCI I've ever bought was loaded with #9 shot. They kill snakes dead as a sack of rocks with one shot from a 2.5" barrel.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Perhaps I mis-remember on the shot size, I could have sworn it was 7.5. Regardless, whether it's 7.5 or 9, either is really too large for 99% of all snakes you'll encounter in the upper 48. Even copperheads required two shots to stop wiggling with a .38 special CCI out of a 2" Colt Cobra. Yet when I made my own loads with #11 or 12, it's one shot. Perhaps you're just a WAY better shot with snakeshot than I am, but I'm generally unimpressed with CCI's in 9mm, .38, and .45 ACP. In .44 Special and .45 Colt they're just fine (perhaps the large bores are the ones that used 7.5??).
We all have our own experiences...But living in snake country, I got a LOT of opportunity to see what works, and even decided to just make my own because I thought I could do much better than CCI, and I was right.
And perhaps you and I differ in what we require from our snake loads. Yeah, a CCI will kill pretty much any snake with one shot. If that's your goal, then you're good. But for me, I want the snake DRT immediately, not 5 minutes from now; and I just didn't get that with a single shot of a CCI (again, excepting the big bores).
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Campfire Tracker
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CCI shotshells are all size #9 except for the 9mm and .22 loads, which are size #12. This excludes their newer ‘Big 4’ offerings, which are (obviously) a size #4.
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Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 12
New Member
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New Member
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Perhaps I mis-remember on the shot size, I could have sworn it was 7.5. Regardless, whether it's 7.5 or 9, either is really too large for 99% of all snakes you'll encounter in the upper 48. Even copperheads required two shots to stop wiggling with a .38 special CCI out of a 2" Colt Cobra. Yet when I made my own loads with #11 or 12, it's one shot. Perhaps you're just a WAY better shot with snakeshot than I am, but I'm generally unimpressed with CCI's in 9mm, .38, and .45 ACP. In .44 Special and .45 Colt they're just fine (perhaps the large bores are the ones that used 7.5??).
We all have our own experiences...But living in snake country, I got a LOT of opportunity to see what works, and even decided to just make my own because I thought I could do much better than CCI, and I was right.
And perhaps you and I differ in what we require from our snake loads. Yeah, a CCI will kill pretty much any snake with one shot. If that's your goal, then you're good. But for me, I want the snake DRT immediately, not 5 minutes from now; and I just didn't get that with a single shot of a CCI (again, excepting the big bores). You don't mention what ranges you made your shots, but in my experience its critical as the pattern must be dense enough to pulverize the head. In my experience about 48" off the muzzle is perfect for this effect (it gives me a dense 5" pattern in my 4" 686). Much further the pattern is too dense, any closer it's too small a pattern if he's not holding still for the shot. Now that being said, yes #12 shot would actually be an extremely dense pattern . Why they don't offer .38/357 with #12 shot I don't know as I'd happily use it. But #9 does work well if you keep that distance "just right".
Last edited by Jeff1963; 08/30/20.
Pedersoli .54 Hawken
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Joined: Feb 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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If you can find it, #10 and #12 shot work very well in Speer’s shot capsules. I’ve only used them in a M-60 3” and with the finer shot they shred a rattler’s or water moccasin’s head.
NRA Life,Endowment,Patron or Benefactor since '72.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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A slightly larger caliber/cartridge revolver, my shot shells! I apologize for the poor photo quality, but looking closely you can see holes from a load of #8s @ 25 feet! The drawn circle is 4 1/2” inches to give an idea of pattern size/density! I think it will w/o.rv good on small vermin and small game! memtb ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/fBi1DBwl.jpg)
Last edited by memtb; 03/07/23.
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
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They work well on carpenter bees off the back porch. I have used .22 and .22 mag and .38 from short barrels. I think the .22 mags are my favorite.
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